According to Thursday's WESH News, police in St. Petersburg, Fla., instigated an investigation after the body of a small, female pit bull was found inside of a blue, hard-shell suitcase that was floating in a canal on Wednesday night.

It turns out that the disturbing find does not appear to be linked to a twisted case of animal cruelty, reported the St. Petersburg Tribune. The dog, named "Beloved," had been placed in the suitcase by her mentally disabled guardians after she died following a fatal run-in with a car.

Samuel Orsini, told the authorities that Beloved had slipped away from him on a walk and she was hit by a car. Orsini claims to have carried the dog back to the apartment that he shares with Gina Glass, and they contacted the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to see if they could take her body.

The couple indicated that they could not afford the $55 fee that the SPCA charges, so they found a suitcase in a dumpster and put their dog's body inside. The canal was selected because it was reported to be the dog's "favorite spot."

Officials are having a necropsy completed on the dog's body to verify the information that they were provided by the distraught couple. The investigation will remain open until the results are back.

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